Shell for high explosives



(No Model.)

W. T. SMITH.

SHELL FOR HIGH HXPLOSIVHS. N. 384,646. Patented June 19, 1888 3m @im MH@i, WMSTM JDM @gu ffrozmm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

"WILLIAM SMITH, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

SHELL FOR HIGH EXPLOSIVES.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,646, dated J` une19, 1888.

Application tiled March 8, 1888.

To all whom it' may Concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Projectiles, ofwhich the following is so full, clear, and exact a description as willenable those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains tomake and use the same, reference being hadl to the appended drawings,forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvementsinprojectiles, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth in thespecification, and pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to construct a projectile which shall becapable of carrying safely dynamite or other highly-explosive substancesor compounds whichare ignited by concussion.

Another object of my invention is to construct a shell or projectilepossessing the above qualities in such a manner that it may be red fromany of the ordinary forms of ordnance.

A further object of my invention is to oonstruct a projectile whichshall not only be capable of carrying out the objects above set forth,but shall at the same time be so constructed that it will notdischargethis highlyexplosive substance or compound instantaneouslywiththe striking of the projectile against the object at which it is aimed,but which will discharge said explosive in a fraction of time later andafter said projectile shall have penetrated the object of its aim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andon which similar letters of reference indicate the same or correspondingfeatures- Figure I represents a vertical sectional view of my improvedshell. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken on the line .r x ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view taken on the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4is a detail view of the rubber bag Q and its attached iiexible tubes.

The letter A designates the outer casing of an ordinary metallic shell,made of cast iron or steel, as may be desired, and terminating in apointed end, B, and provided near said end with a transverse partition,C.

Secured within the lower end of the shell A Serial No. 266,544.(Nonodol.)

is a transverse bottom plate, I), and above that a similar plate, E, itsouter portion being covered with a rubber or gum coating, F, and throughthem extends an aperture provided with a plug, G. Above this is afurther partition, H, the same consisting of two metallic plates with anintervening layer of felt, I, the two plates being clamped together bybolts, as shown, or in any desired manner. Secured in this partition isa screw-threaded plug, J, the same terminating at one end in a hook, K,and the plate C at the other end is provided with a similar plug andhook, and the two hooks are connected together by a spiral spring, L,vextending from the one to the other. This spring L is inclosed withinan elastic rubber tube, M, which is provided with flaring ends andconnected to the plates by bolts, or otherwise, as may be desired, andextends through apertures provided in all the substances interveningbetween the two partitions H and C.

Above the partition H, I place a layer of gum, N, and -abo"ve that alayer of felt and hair mixed, and on this I mount in the form of a coila layer `of hose, P, as more clearly seen in Fig. 3. On this layer ofrubber hose P I place an indiarubber bag, Q,whose upper surface isprovided with'an annular series of iexible rubber tubes, R, extendingaround the sides of the cartridge up to the other rubber bag, S, andbetween the two bags and surrounded by the flexible tubes is thecartridge of dynamite.

The dynamite-shell consists of an outer casing, T, next to which, on theinside, I place a layer of wool, U, and within that I place thedynamite, which rests upon the wooden bottom V, which in turn rests uponthe felt,W, which rests upon the rubber X, which is surrounded by thecasing of the cartridge.

In that part of the shell between the part tions D and E, I create avacuum, and in that portion between the partitions F and H,I placeglycerine, alcohol, or other similar liquid.

Against the partition D, I place a block of rubber, Y, provided with aseries of rearwardly-projecting spiral' springs, Z, the ends of saidsprings being covered by a plateattached to them. This projectile isdesigned IOO to'be placed in the ordinary forms of ordnance and firedwith the usual charge of powder,which, acting first against the springsZ, sends the projectile from the gun in an easier manner than if itacted directly against the shell itself. The firing of the projectileloosens the plug G in the partition E, and the liquid immediately abovebegins to descend through the aperture, and everything above the liquidbegins to gradually descend to the rear of the shell, the air in the bagQ ascending to the bag S, so that by the time the projectile has arrivedat its destination the charge of dynamite will have receded from itsformer close quarters, and there will be considerable space between theupper end of the said charge and the partition C, so that'on itsstriking the object of its aim the charge will be suddenly shot forwardwith considerable violence, and the concussion will produce theexplosion of the dynamite at the moment of its penetration.

I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the exactconstructionherein shown and described, for it may be varied somewhatwithout departing'from the spirit of my invention, the essential featureof which is the constructing a projectile in such a manner that in itspassage the charge of explosive will recede and leave a space above it,so that on its striking the object of its aim the charge will be shotforward violently and by its concussion explode at the moment the saidprojectile is penetrating the object of its aim or immediatelythereafter.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combinatiomwith a projectile, of an explosive movablymountedtherein, an airchamber at the rear of said explosive, and aliquid-containing chamber at the rear of said air-chamber, and havingits front wall elastically connected with the front of the projectile.

2. rIhe combinatiomwith a projectile, of an explosive movably mountedtherein, an airchamber at the rear of said explosive, aliquid-containing chamber at the rear of said airchamber, a chamber' atthe rear of said liquidcontaining chamber containing a vacuum and formedon its top with an aperture openingcommunication therewith from theliquid-containing chamber, and a plug normally closing the saidaperture.

3. The combination,with a projectile, of an explosive movably mountedtherein and inclosed between exible air-containing chambers, and aseries of fiexible tubes connecting the said chambers.

4. The combination, with a projectile and an explosive charge locatedtherein, ofair-cushions to either side of the saidcharge, aliquidcontaining chamber behind the lower aircushion, and a vacuumchamber behind the liquid-containing chamber and having a perforation,and a plug normally closing said per foration and adapted to bedisplaced by the shock consequent upon the projectile forcibly leavingthe gun.

5. The combination, with a projectile and the charge movably mountedtherein, of an air-chamber at the rear of said charge, having a movablepartition or base-plate at the rear end, and springsconnecting the saidpartition with the front of the projectile.

6. The combination, with a projectile and the charge movably mountedtherein, of an air-chamber at the rear of said charge, aliquid-containing chamber at the rear of said airchamber, and a movablepartition dividing said chambers, and a vacuum-chamber at the rear of'said liquid containing chamber and normally separated therefrom by a`plug adapted to be displaced by the shock imparted to the projectile infiring the gun.

7. The combination, with a projectile and the charge movably mountedtherein, of.` an air-chamber at the rear of said charge, a movablepartition beneath the said charge, and layers consisting of an elastic,felt and hair, and another elastic between the said charge and movablepartition.

8. The combination, with a projectile provided with partitions dividingthe shell into compartments, of a yielding connection between two of thepartitions, said yielding connection passing through the charge and itsmountings and firmly yet yieldingly holding them in place.

9. The combination, with the projectile and the charge mounted therein,of an air-cushion at the rear of said charge, and a movable partition atthe rear of said air-chamber and having yielding connection with thefront of the projectile.

10. The combination, with a projectile and the charge, of an air-cushionsupporting the said charge, an elastic packing at the rear of saidcushion, a fluidcontaining chamber at the rear of said packing, amovable partition between the said packing and fluid-containing chamber,a vacuum-chamber the front wall of which is formed with a perforation,and a plug normally closing said perforation.

l1. The combination,with the projectile and its charge movably mountedtherein, a movable partition at the rear of said charge, springsconnecting the said partition with the front of the projectile, and atube surrounding the said springs, whereby the same will not comeintocontact with the charge.

12. The combination,with the projectile and the charge, of aircushionsat the front and rear of said charge, fiexible tubes connecting the saidcushions, and a movable partition at thek rear of the lower air-cushionand having elastic connection with the front of the proj ectile.

13. The combination,with the projectile and the charge, of air cushionsat the front and rear of said charge, flexible tubes connecting the saidcushions, movable partition at the rear of the lower air cushion havingelastic IOO IIO

2o said partition with the front ofthe projectile,

connection with the front of the projectile, and an elasticpackingbetween the said movable partition and air-cushion.

14. The combination,with the projectile and the charge, of a woolpacking surrounding the charge, air-cushions at the front and rear ofthe said charge, ilexible tubes connecting the said air-cushions,movable partition at the rear of thelower air-cushion, spring connectingthe said partition with the front of the projectile, and a flexible tubesurrounding the said spring.

15. The combination, with the projectile, charge, air cushions at eitherside of said charge, flexible tubes connecting said air-cushions, and anelastic packing immediately to the rear of the lower air-cushion, of aiiuidcontaining chamber to the rear of said packing, a movable partitiondividing the said chamber andpacking, spring connecting the flexibletube surrounding the said spring, a'

vacuum-chamber at the rear of the fluid-containing chamber and having aperforation in its front wall, and a plug normally closing the saidperforation.

16. The combination, with a projectile and the charge movably mountedtherein, of an air-chamber at the rear of said charge, a movablepartition at the rear of said air-chamber and, having elastic connectionwith the front of the projectile, and layers consisting of an elastic,felt and hair, and another elastic between the said charge and movablepartition.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLAM T. SMITH.

Witnesses:

FRANZ MUELLER, MARY E. SHAW.

